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RADIOHEAD FRONTMAN SAYS INTERNET IS NOT 'FUTURE' OF MUSIC

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has continued the band's efforts to downplay the group's recent digital release of its new album, In Rainbows, as an historic development in the distribution of music. Yorke told England's BBC Radio 4, "We didn't want it to be a big announcement about 'Everything's over except the Internet... the Internet's the future.' Utter rubbish. It's really important to have an artifact as well, as they call it: an object." The "artifact" version of In Rainbows arrived in stores on Tuesday (January 1st), with Yorke adding, "Eighty percent of people still buy physical records, so we'd be stark raving mad to not address that, you know?"

In Rainbows was offered as a download in October, with fans permitted to pay whatever they wanted.

Yorke also continued to deny a report that Radiohead demanded $20 million from EMI Music to sign a new deal after its contract expired. The singer said, "We did not ask for a load of cash from our old record label EMI to re-sign. That is a lie. The Times in the U.K. should check its facts before it prints such dirt...we are extremely upset that this crap is being spread about."

Yorke, however, did add, "(Record labels) seem to basically get in the way. Not only do they get in the way, but they take all the cash."

The band and its management have both stated that control over the exploitation of its back catalog was one of the sticking points in its discussions with EMI.

An article in the New York Times this week speculated on whether sales of the physical version of In Rainbows would be hurt by the digital release.